Unexpected
by Misty Woods
Summary: A musical prodigy is trained from young by his father. The young boy is sent for competitions and is given pressure by his over-zealous father to win. Will this aid or destroy him? This short story was submitted for the NAC Golden Point Award 2003.
1. Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
UNEXPECTED CHAPTER 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.  
  
-Henry David Thoreau  
  
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata resonated throughout the dim room. The pianist shut his eyes, immersed in the music while his nimble fingers raced across the grand piano. A tattered and torn manuscript lay unnoticed on the bench beside him. He was a maestro, a master. All melodies had been locked in his brilliant memory.  
  
"Papa! Papa!" the 3 year-old child tugged his father's sleeve insistently, demanding his immediate attention. "I want to play too!" His father explained patiently without glancing at him, "No, Tom. You're too young." He tried to shut the toddler's dismal wails out, but to no avail. Nevertheless, he continued playing as if in a world of his own. Soon, the child's mother rushed into the room and dealt him a resounding smack. The child was stunned; his mouth gaped open, staring at this foreign person before him with large, bewildered eyes.  
  
"Don't stare at me like that!" the exasperated mother yelled, "How many times have I told you not to whine! Making such a racket! You come along with me right now!" She snatched his little hand and dragged him out of the room. His furious screams bounced off the walls of the corridor, reaching the ears of his father, who winced.  
  
After a long day of practice, the father finally closed the piano and patted it fondly before retiring to bed. He dreamt he was performing at Carnegie Hall, with uncountable pairs of eyes upon him. Each song he played would be greeted by a large burst of applause. As he swept swiftly to the centre of the concert platform to receive his bouquet of flowers, his cheeks would flush with pride.  
  
Suddenly, he was rudely awakened from this wondrous dream by the jarring, random striking of the ivory and ebony keys. That boy! He smiled wryly as he went to investigate further.  
  
He tiptoed down the corridor and peered into the room. The soft, glowing light streaming from the lamp perched on the upright piano spread its comforting rays around the room. Meanwhile, Tom was happily tinkering on the piano, using only one chubby finger to prod the keys. The father walked up, leaning against the piano. He looked at the boy's radiant face and asked him gently, "Do you really want to learn?" The child's head bobbed up and down eagerly and the father beamed. "Well, then what are we waiting for?"  
  
The boy was a quick learner and was able to pick up almost everything after a few demonstrations by his father. It was touching to see a young child displaying such kind of determination to master the art of piano playing in such a short period of time. Caught up in this new interest, the father completely forgot the time and continued his teachings enthusiastically.  
  
Later that night, the mother stirred from her sleep to find her husband's place empty. She got up and went to the piano room, where the lamp was still burning steadily. She paused at the doorway and chuckled.  
  
Leaning fast asleep against the piano was her son. Unwilling to wake the slumbering boy, the mother turned off the lamp, whispered 'Sweet dreams', and tiptoed off to the kitchen, where she found her husband sipping tea. "Our son has potential, you just wait." 


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
UNEXPECTED CHAPTER 2  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Time flew.  
  
Tom's fingers danced across the keyboard. It seemed as though he was performing at a concert hall, accompanied by a symphonic orchestra! The heavenly sounds resonated throughout the room and as he struck the ending chord, his father smiled broadly. His son's skills were astounding! At only 5 years of age, he was able to play Mozart's 'Turkish March' with the greatest ease! The father ruffled his tousled hair and remarked thoughtfully, "You know, you're almost as good as Mozart was when he was your age! I think it's time to enter you in a piano competition. Imagine! You'll probably be the youngest and brightest candidate ever!" Tom blushed and grinned, throwing his arms around his father. The father laughed heartedly, swinging his son around. "Son, you'll be the talk of the town!"  
  
As training for the competition started, Tom's heart was filled with great fear and apprehension. He knew he was not to play a single wrong note. He knew the top award for the competition was $3000 cash. He knew clinching the first prize would make his father very happy.  
  
Often, Tom would play with his eyes closed, totally absorbed in the wondrous music. Music was his heart, his life, and his innermost soul. It was his everything. It took him on waves of thoughts and emotions, never failing to surprise him deeply. One minute it would be soft and sweet, like a maiden on her wedding day, and the next minute it would be violent, crashing, like a sudden, unexpected downpour. At the keyboard, Tom would always be in high spirits.  
  
On the day of the competition, his father dressed him up in his best suit. On the way, he constantly reminded Tom, "Of course, remember to bow to the audience. Just do it as I taught you. You remember how to, don't you?" His father's words only made Tom shudder. What if he forgot to do something? What if he played something wrong? Terror got the better of him. He found he had wet his pants. The numerous, chattering children had already gathered backstage. All of them were taller and appeared much older than him! Tom trembled in his seat as he heard the rest of the candidates perform.  
  
"Candidate number 22! Thomas Whitman!" the compere announced. Little Tom took a deep breath, walked up the stage and bowed to the audience. He then strolled over to the grand piano and adjusted the seat before sitting down. Shutting his eyes, Tom began to play. The butterflies in his stomach gradually disappeared. He was now in his own world, where nothing but the Turkish March existed. The sounds carried him along, like waves gently bearing him further and further into the ocean. It was pure bliss and a smile crept onto Tom's face.  
  
His playing got louder and fiercer like a thunderstorm as the music climaxed. Then, it was soft and sweet once more. He ended the piece dramatically and let his hands rest quietly on the keys. There was silence, then deafening applause from the audience. He caught sight of his father applauding frantically, and beamed. So this was how it felt to be on stage! He bowed to the judges, noticing that they were all nodding their heads in approval and smiling admiringly.  
  
Tom then went to join his father in the audience. Throughout the rest of the competition, he bounced up and down on his seat, impatient for it to end and for the results to be announced. 


	3. Chapter 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
UNEXPECTED CHAPTER 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Finally, the competition was over. The judges got together and had a conference, bending their heads close together. Not long after, one of them stepped onto stage and made a speech, "I must say that all of the candidates played extremely well and the judges had a hard time deciding who the winner should be. However, after much deliberation, we have decided to award the grand prize of $3000 to." Tom and his father leaned forward in anticipation as Tom held his breath.  
  
"THOMAS WHITMAN!"  
  
The audience burst into applause as Tom sprinted up the stage to receive his prize. Bright, glaring flashbulbs assaulted him as he shook hands with the judge.  
  
When they got home, the father proudly waved the $3000 cheque before his wife's face, saying joyfully, "I told you he would win, didn't I?" The mother shrieked in delight and swept Tom into her arms, nearly crushing him as she covered him with kisses, saying, "Oh! My good boy! My good boy!"  
  
Tom was overwhelmed by the response from both his parents. Confidently, he exclaimed, "Dad! Mom! Just wait and see! I'll be the greatest pianist ever when I grow up! Just wait and see!"  
  
The father grinned and tweaked his son's nose, "In that case, when you perform at Carnegie Hall, remember to invite your mother and I to attend, alright?" "You've got a deal!" The father hugged his son and said, "Now that's my boy!"  
  
Soon, the father signed his talented son up in an international piano competition. The grand prize was $50000 in cash and if Tom were to win the competition, he would instantly become one of the most sought after concert pianists on earth!  
  
So began the days of hard work. Tom's father supervised his practice strictly, rapping his knuckles at every mistake he made. Frustrated, he would jump up from his chair and yell, "The competition is only 2 weeks away, boy! There's no time to lose! I know you can do it! Remember? You won that last competition! You must win, you hear me? YOU HAVE TO WIN!" He would then twist the boy's ears mercilessly. Many times, Tom had wanted to cry, but he held back his tears, afraid to irritate his Father further. Very soon, 'panda eyes' bloomed after he stayed up night after night to practise under his father's watchful eye. "Must practise, practise, practise! If you don't practise, how are you going to win, boy?"  
  
Even his mother noticed the sudden change in the boy's lethargy. At night, she would whisper to the father, cautiously, for he was easy to anger these days, "You know, I think you are pushing Tom too much." "Too much!!!" he bellowed, "You must be crazy! Don't you want him to win?" Too frightened to say another word, the mother mumbled 'yes' and cowered beneath the covers, while the father muttered, "All crazy! But yes, the boy MUST win!"  
  
The day of the competition drew near and the father got into a madder frenzy. He now forced poor Tom to forgo his meals in order to have more time for practise. The boy would have starved to death if his mother had not sneaked some food and water to him when his father was not looking. Eager to meet his father's demands as well as seeking dwindling praise from him, Tom asserted himself even harder. However, his father never ceased to complain and demanded that Tom play the competition piece over and over again. So, Tom was more than relieved when the Competition Day finally arrived.  
  
Tom watched closely and listened attentively to the other candidates' performance. After much comparison, he figured that he stood a better chance to win. That boosted his confidence and he started feeling eager to perform. Finally, it was his turn. Tom confidently walked up the stage and bowed amid thunderous applause. There was complete silence as he sat down and started playing. He was sure of himself. After all the practice, he knew exactly where he should build up the volume and where he should soften. All went smoothly until halfway through the piece.  
  
All of a sudden, Tom felt his hands become clammy. Beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead and he suddenly felt faint. However, he remembered that he had a song to play and forced himself to hold out to the end. Unexpectedly, another dizzy spell slammed him hard and Tom was forced to play with his eyes shut. Now, his fingers were running across the keyboard all by themselves. He could not see. He could only feel. Accustomed to the piece, his fingers naturally played everything the way he had practiced. Without prior notice, there was an eerie silence and to his horror, Tom realized that all other noise had been shut out of his ears and only a loud and consistent buzz remained. Desperately, he pounded on the keys, as if to assure himself that he could still hear. "It's ending soon! It's ending soon!" he told himself and strained himself to complete the song.  
  
Suddenly, it was over and Tom collapsed onto the keyboard. Immediately, there was roaring applause and the audience gave him a standing ovation. To them, he had demonstrated a dramatic finale, and they continued to clap. Then, they realized that something was wrong, for Tom did not rise to take a bow. There was a hushed silence as the compere rushed over to Tom.  
  
"He's fainted!" 


	4. Chapter 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
UNEXPECTED CHAPTER 4  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a loud buzz as the confused audience asked one another, "He's fainted?" His father jumped to his feet and rushed up to the stage. He shook Tom furiously, crying, "Tom! Tom! Answer me!" When Tom made no reply, the father yelled frantically, "Quick! Someone! Call the ambulance! This is an emergency! Quick!" Soon, the dismal wail of sirens was heard.  
  
"No! No! That can't be true! No!" the father burst into tears and sobbed, covering his face with his hands. "No!" It was a cry of anguish and despair and he thought his heart would break. How could this happen to his son? His only son! Tom's career as a pianist would be ruined! Ruined! Another giant wave of misery swept through him and he wept even more noisily.  
  
Awkwardly, the Doctor patted his back, hoping to comfort him. However, the father pushed his hand away and whispered, "Please! Leave me alone! I need to be alone." The Doctor looked at him, shook his head and left, for he too felt tears coming into his eyes.  
  
After some checkups in the hospital, the doctors confirmed that Tom had indeed gone deaf. There was no cure. Too much damage had been done, the doctor explained. Overwork had worn Tom's nervous system out, causing a breakdown which resulted in his loss of hearing.  
  
The father walked out of the hospital as though in a trance. His face was as pale as that of one about to meet his doom. It was completely devoid of any emotion. Pondering about his son's future now gave him massive headaches, so he chose to simply block out all thoughts from his troubled mind and just walk on and on. Why, the sense of hearing was one of the most vital criteria a pianist simply HAD to possess! Without it, Tom was now as helpless and vulnerable as a newborn babe.  
  
Do they have any idea what I'm going through right now? He thought bitterly. Walking along the streets, jostled by the crowds, he only saw face after face, each as blank and expressionless as the next. It seemed as though he was trapped in a nightmare, a nightmare that consisted of a world where he had destroyed his son's future.  
  
The father's unsettled expression attracted strange stares from some people. Bristling with rage, he stomped home, kicking pebbles and cans lying in his way. Unable to bear the heavy burden any longer, he broke down along the road and cried, oblivious to the odd looks given him. He wept for the loss of his son's career, the misfortune of the greatest pride of his life- his son. Thoughts flooded his distressed mind. He was tired, very tired.  
  
Suddenly, it began to rain. The rain pounded the hard stone pavement, drenching the father in his sorrow. It continued to fall like a million tears, speckling the ground. The father fell to his knees. All around him, umbrellas of various hues bobbed up and down gaily. People hurried past, not giving him a single glance. How cruel and heartless the world seemed at that moment! Soon, there was only one lone figure kneeling in the rain.  
  
THE END 


End file.
